Godzilla King of the Monsters & The Age of The Titans Has Come! (Movie Review)
Godzilla King of the Monsters has been one of my most anticipated movies of the year, besides Avengers: Endgame of course. The trailers alone solidified my need to see this film opening weekend. Though the previous installment, Godzilla 2014, did leave me slightly disappointed I was still ecstatic to see this film. So what can I say about Godzilla King of the Monsters? This film is cranked up to eleven! Godzilla’s atomic breath is on full blast against the fearsomely ferocious Monster Zero. The radioactive lizard king and his fellow titans chew up the scenery with every thunderous step, concussive wingbeat, and nostalgic screech! On the ground level we follow some new and some returning human characters among the turmoil. Though the film features a heavy hitting cast with performances from Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, and more, it is clear that the titans are the true show stealers. This is not to say that the human characters weren’t as imposing, but they are a little… well let’s drop in to the no fly zone and see what its all about!
Godzilla King of the Monsters is billed as an action film. The film is directed by Michael Dougherty with a screenplay, also by Dougherty, and Zach Shields. As mentioned before our cast includes Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, along with Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance and many more. The sequel credits Alex Garcia, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Brian Rogers, and Thomas Tull, the original producers of the Godzilla 2014 film. Some of these producers have also had their hands in similar films like Kong: Skull Island and Pacific Rim. Needless to say these folks know how to make a monster movie or two. When looking at our cast, once again, it is not a question of if these clearly talented actors can act, but rather how the characters within the film are acting. Let’s get into it.
As I have mentioned before I love Godzilla. This film delivers Godzilla, King Ghidorah, also known as Monster Zero, Rodan, Mothra, and a few other revamped and new titans alike right before our very eyes. This film is heart-pounding and just downright exciting to watch! The action scenes that feature titan vs. titan and titan vs Monarch are thrilling and hit hard! Godzilla King of the Monsters sells us on the stakes and the gravity of the situation. Though the monsters are the biggest draw to the film it is the human characters that the audience must look toward to truly be engrossed in the story. There are points in the film where the human characters do sell us on a world dominated by titans. Then there are points where human characters act in ways that range from awkward to just insane. We’ll touch on this a little further.
We are first introduced to a mother, Dr. Emma Russell, played by Vera Farmiga, and daughter, Madison Russell, played by Millie Bobby Brown, who are living on a Monarch outpost in China. The two are involved in the research and development agency even to the point of having access to tools and specimens, or titans, belonging to the agency. In the process of a test being conducted on one of the detained specimens an incident occurs which endangers the lives of the scientists and operatives of Monarch, including our aforementioned main characters. It is only when Madison comes to her mother’s aid that the danger subsides. This scene is immediately followed up by a terrorist organization neutralizing the scientists and operatives and taking the Russells hostage, along with a pertinent piece of equipment. In this event Mark Russell (Chandler) is brought in by Monarch’s Dr. Serizawa (Watanabe), Dr. Vivienne Graham (Hawkins) and Sam Coleman (Middleditch) to recover the the stolen equipment, and most importantly his family. During a particular scene a significant twist occurs that heightens the drama and stakes for our characters. At this point the sanity of a few main characters in particular may have audience members scratching their heads and even saying “Are you serious?” As the film progresses there are a few more decisions that are made by human characters that make you just go “What?,” but I’ll let you guys check it out for yourselves.
All in all Godzilla King of the Monsters is a must see for those wanting to see an updated slugfest between Godzilla and King Ghidorah. Though some viewers may have issues with the decision making, or logic, of certain human characters, myself included, we ultimately would not have a movie without the nonsensical impulsiveness. There is heart in this film, despite it being about an age of giant monsters taking over the globe. The monsters alone are a major selling point for this movie. However the amount of world building and the direction the film is headed toward by time the end is at least worth checking out. Was this a perfect film? No. Did I thoroughly enjoy myself despite its flaws? Of course! I would strongly encourage fans of Godzilla, fans of the monster movie genre in general, and those willing to entertain and appreciate a world ruled by titans to pay the King his due respect.
